The Chronicle. PUBLISHED DAILY LEVIN. WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 25.

Horowhenua Chronicle, 26 February 1913, Page 2

The Chronicle. PUBLISHED DAILY LEVIN. WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 25.

FORESTRY

- need for afforestation, and the desirableness of proper leaching :n tin; elementary principles of the study, have been dwelt upon in thes'. columns on previous occasions. m Xew Zealand of to-day Hie need for afforestation is greater than of yore, and with the s*icl ova in pie <of drouglity Hawkc's Bay before tho public as warning, there should- he no further delays in guarding against any increase of denuded areas. The action of the Masscy Government u setting up a Commission to investigate this problem is most commendable. AVc note, too, that the United States of America are setting a good educational example in this regard. The first "State Banger School" in the big republic has been established by the New York State College of Forestry at Syracuse University. Sixteen young men enteral at tho beginning of the torm, and are now studying practical forestry in tlio Ad iron clacks. The College of Forestry, established by Legislative Act in 1911. carries <n a professional course at .Syracuse University, in addition to its ranger school, and also a general educational work among the people tli rough out the State. A letter has been sent to the principals of all high and preparatory schools of the Seate. offering to give illustrated lectures and demonstrations before the schools upon the subjects of forest care and tree planting. Arbor Day. which has been so long an institution in our public schools, is simply playing at a great problem on one day of the year. In New York State over onethird of the area is non-agricultural, better suited to the growing of forest trees than anything else. The planting of a piece of such waste land by school children, who could watch the growth mid development of the trees, would be one of the best ways to inculcate among the rising generation a respect for forests which would tend to secure their protection from fire and careless wastefulness. GERMANY'S FOREIGN MINISTER. "The fierce light that beats upon a throne" seems to bent on those surrounding it also, in these days. What could he plainer or more critical than this scathing criticism of the new Foreign Minister for Germany, published in a January issue of The Daily Citizen (a Txindon and Manchester newspaper) under the initials of E.H. :—Herr von Jagow has now definitely accepted the post of German Foreign Minister, which wa3 vacated by Kiderlen-Waechter. Who i« the man, and why was he chosen? To answer the first question would be to answer the second. Herr von Jagow's career has been all spent W the diplomatic service. He belongs to the aristocracy, and when ho was still at Bonn University he chose as his companions only members of the

best families or those who could pos- | sibly help his ambitions; and all his subsequent career has been built on favouritism rather than on personal abilities. He is quite the opposite of the Gerniiin Chancellor, and is not liked by him. He is also very different from his predecessor. KidevlenWacchtcr. Outwardly full of compliance with orders that be did not liko, he would use every back-door influence to thwart the design. Ho is a man without confidence in himself, yet full of self-admiration. He likes comfort and quietness, and this perhaps accounts for his love of peace. Ho is not an eagle, and will always do as his master bids him. His nomination undoubtedly marks the Kaiser's intention to interfere more actively in foreign policy—an intention which was always frustrated by the strong will of KidenlcnWaerhter. Von Jagow is a Machiavelli by ambition and education, but without the Machiavellian brains. He is forty-nine years of age and a bachelor. When he was asked which was preferable -greatness with its worries or a humble position with comfort, ho answered that both were equally bad. Rohind his polished appearance there is the heart of a Prussian Junker—selfish, full of selfadmiration and pettiness. Von Jagow will never send a gunboat to Agadir. a,< Kidorleu-Waeehter did. He attempts his coups in silence and by stealthy intrigue with other Powers. UOROWIIIvNTA COUNTY. Tiiichk will be scarcely one reader ol The Chronicle to whom all the items following will lie news, but undoubtedly there will be news for most of them in one or more of the sets of figures. Th«'v are compiled from the Registrar-General's latest fableof statistics:— in the County of Horowhenua there are 49S square mile<. 7<i72 persons, and 5)05 holdings of one acre and upwards. The capital value of the couniy i'k C3.]].').GS9. and the unimproved value C2.USO.218. The value of improvements are C 1.027.171. The total area (■!' land in cultivation in the countv (including sown grasses, fallow grasses, .and orchards) is 123.584 acres The slice]) of the county totalled 1015.01)1. cattle 2i.7()]. pigs 5105. horses 3729. SANDON TO MARTON TRAM EXTENSION. It it thought that at the next meeting of the Levin (handier of Commerce, which will lie held next Tuesday, sonic steps will be taken in opiKiMfion to the active niovem?nt that the I'almerston and Feilding chambers are taking against the Disposed extension of ihe Sandon tramline to Marten. Roth I'aliuorston and Keilding are taking a selfish view of the situation, and in tin l -

j'iiihuli' they should be met with -ne commendable oppo;-:! um of those loc•il bodies tint an virpniiing (his nnic-]) voodcd work.